55 in 10: Discover the Epic C8 Corvette ZR1 vs Mustang GTD vs Porsche 911 GT3 RS Battle

Today, we have one of the more exciting new series we’ve launched — imagine getting all the important and cool details from long YouTube videos in just 10 minutes! Well, imagine no longer because CorvSport has the solution for your busy lifestyle. We realize you want to get the details from the hottest trending Corvette videos, but you don’t always have the time. So, we curate the most popular videos and provide summaries in an easy-to-read format.

For our first installment, we visit YouTuber Savage Geese, which, with 841,000 subscribers, has proven to be a popular voice in enthusiast circles. As always, we’ve included the full Savage Geese video below our curated summary, and encourage you to view the total awesomeness if you have the time. With 665,723 views, 25,000 likes, and 3,802 comments, it is safe to say the Corvette community has reacted positively to this viral video!

Corvette ZR1 vs Mustang GTD vs Porsche 911 GT3RS | Crowning The King

What You’ll Discover Today

How Chevy’s factory team approached this track-day matchup—and why their confidence in the new ZR1 set the tone before the first lap was even turned.
Why the Corvette’s philosophy of “power first, refine second” stands in such stark contrast to its Porsche and Mustang rivals.
What the dyno session revealed about the LT7’s real-world output—and why those numbers matter for Corvette fans watching the horsepower wars unfold.
How Britt Casey Jr. interpreted the ZR1’s personality on track compared with the GT3 RS and GTD, including what surprised him most behind the wheel.
Which aspects of the ZR1’s performance reshaped expectations for Chevy’s flagship—and how that result fits into Corvette’s modern identity.

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Hail the King! Image Credit: Savage Geese

Track-Day Summit: Three Titans, One Perfect Setting

The day at Autobahn Country Club brought three of the hottest modern performance machines together under near-ideal conditions, supported by representatives from Porsche, Chevy, and Ford who arrived with engineers, technicians, and factory-level setup expertise. The event wasn’t a simple winner-take-all showdown but a rare industry moment where three engineering philosophies were put on equal footing and allowed to speak for themselves (0:13–0:37). The atmosphere was more collaborative than competitive, with each team freely comparing notes and celebrating what the others had built. But with three halo cars in the same paddock, the energy was electric—everyone knew this was a heavyweight matchup disguised as a friendly gathering.

Porsche Precision: The 911 GT3 RS as a Scalpel on Slicks

The Porsche 992.1 GT3 RS stood out as the most meticulous and adjustable machine of the group, emphasizing razor-sharp precision over brute output (2:31–3:55). Just over 3,200 pounds with the Weissach track package and generating 1,890 pounds of downforce, it arrived as the lightest car with the second-highest aero load and the least power. Its naturally aspirated 4.0L flat-six revs to 9,000 rpm and produces 518 hp, paired with a 7-speed PDK known for telepathic responses. But what truly separates the GT3 RS is its chassis toolbox: double wishbones, fully independent compression and rebound settings, front and rear sway-bar adjustability, rear-wheel steering, and the only hydraulic brake feel in the group. It’s the kind of car that rewards a thinking driver—one who tunes it not for the track, but for each corner.

Key Points:

Lightest car: ~3,200 lbs.
518 hp, NA flat-six (9,000 rpm).
Most chassis adjustability (suspension + sway bars).
The only car with a hydraulic brake feel.

Corvette Shockwave: The Twin-Turbo ZR1 That Makes Reality Blink

The Corvette ZR1 arrived as the nuclear option—a 1,064-hp mid-engine monster built around the philosophy of overwhelming every straightaway with force the other two simply don’t have (4:02–4:47). Despite being nearly 3,900 lbs, the ZR1’s twin-turbo LT7 V8 rewrites what “street legal” means when paired with an 8-speed Tremec DCT and the latest Performance Traction Management (PTM) logic. With the lowest downforce of the group (just above 1,200 lbs), the ZR1 trades max cornering grip for explosive velocity. It’s engineered less like a traditional sports car and more like a guided missile—one that relies heavily on PTM to contain its fury and give the driver a fighting chance at using all of it.

Key Points:

1,064 hp twin-turbo LT7 V8.
Verified 1,033 whp on dyno (8:00).
Least downforce (~1,200 lbs).
Tremec DCT + aggressive PTM integration.

Mustang GTD: Multimatic Muscle Meets Track-Weapon Sophistication

The Mustang GTD rolled in like a race car wearing a license plate—heavier than its rivals but built with some of the wildest engineering ever fitted to a production Mustang (4:55–6:08). With 815 hp from a supercharged 5.2L Predator V8, a rear-mounted transaxle, and Multimatic’s signature spool-valve DSSV dampers, the GTD uses pushrod rear suspension, active aero, and full DRS to produce 1,951 pounds of downforce. Its massive tires (325 front, 345 rear) help it generate unshakable stability at speed, where the car seems to become more composed the harder it’s pushed. Even with its 4,400-pound curb weight, the GTD’s engineering focus is clear: dominate high-speed sections through aero confidence and relentless mechanical grip.

Key Points:

Heaviest car: ~4,400 lbs.
Most downforce: 1,951 lbs.
Active aero with DRS.
Widest tires: 325F / 345R.

Dyno Day Truth Serum: Wheel Horsepower Doesn’t Lie

The dyno session served as the purest “no excuses” comparison (6:24–8:12). The GT3 RS and GTD posted healthy, predictable numbers with typical 13–15% drivetrain losses, landing at just over 450 whp and just under 720 whp, respectively. But when the ZR1 hit the rollers, the room collectively stopped breathing—1,033 wheel horsepower and nearly 900 lb-ft of torque. It wasn’t just impressive; it was one of the highest readings the facility had ever seen from anything with a VIN. Independent pulls at other shops have mirrored these results, confirming the LT7 as one of the most potent powerplants ever put into a production car.

Key Points:

GT3 RS: ~450 whp.
Mustang GTD: ~720 whp.
ZR1: 1,033 whp.
ZR1 torque: ~900 lb-ft.

GTD on Track: Stable, Neutral, and Aero-Limited Only by Brakes

When pro driver Britt Casey Jr. took the Mustang GTD on track, he found it to be a brute with unexpectedly refined balance (10:52–13:16). Its aero helped it stay planted in high-speed sections, allowing early throttle and confidence as speeds climbed. Casey praised the steering weight and overall predictability, noting that the GTD feels better the harder you push it—a hallmark of successful aero-first design. Still, he struggled with the brake-by-wire system, calling it inconsistent under trail-braking and too cushioned at the pedal. Even so, the GTD put down a very strong 1:25.397, proving it’s far more than a straight-line hammer.

Key Points:

Neutral, confidence-inspiring high-speed balance.
Aero allows aggressive throttle earlier.
Brake feel is inconsistent due to e-boost (12:54).
Lap time: 1:25.397.

GT3 RS on Track: The Confidence Car That Pays You Back Every Lap

Casey clicked instantly with the GT3 RS, calling out its unmatched brake feel, exceptional rotation, and astonishing cornering consistency (16:54–20:04). With its chassis fully dialed in through compression, rebound, and sway-bar adjustments, the Porsche became the easiest car of the trio to push near the limit. Though down significantly on horsepower, the GT3 RS clawed back time through every technical section, letting Casey string together a flow of precise, near-identical laps. The payoff was massive: flying around Autobahn South with a blistering 1:24.174.

Key Points:

Best brake feel of the group.
Most consistent handling and balance.
Highest cornering speeds by far.
An amazing lap time: 1:24.174.

ZR1 on Track: Unfiltered Fury, Managed by Electronics and Sheer Nerve

The Corvette ZR1 unleashed performance that forced Casey to recalibrate what he expected from a street-legal car (22:06–26:03). Acceleration was described as “frightening”—closer to an EV hypercar than combustion-based performance. Despite having the weakest brake feel and the least downforce, the ZR1 gained so much time on every straight that it erased deficits almost as fast as they appeared. PTM Race 2 became essential, allowing the driver to lean on the car’s enormous output without sacrificing too much stability. Cornering speeds were the lowest in the group, and laps required more caution, but when everything clicked, the ZR1 annihilated the record board with an unbelievable 1:22.443—the fastest street-car lap ever recorded at Autobahn South.

Key Points:

Fastest lap: 1:22.443.
EV-like acceleration; described as “frightening.”
Lowest corner speeds; weakest brake feel.
PTM vital to taming 1,064 hp.

CorvSport Hot Take

**C8 ZR1 Proves It: Power Isn’t Everything — It’s Everything (At Least on This Track)**

Well, Corvette fans, the stopwatch has spoken — and the C8 ZR1 didn’t just win, it body-slammed two of the most respected track cars on the planet. Sure, the GT3 RS showed up like the honor-roll kid with perfect handwriting and infinite chassis tuning, and the Mustang GTD rolled in like a heavyweight superhero with carbon-fiber cape and Multimatic muscles. But the ZR1? It simply walked in, made 1,033 wheel horsepower, and asked, “Where do I plug in the victory lap?”

What viewers learned today is that Chevy didn’t just build a fast Corvette — they built a land-based railgun. Britt Casey’s lap in the ZR1 was so quick it basically needed an FAA clearance (22:06). Yet what makes this result genuinely impressive is how usable the power was. PTM Race 2 didn’t just keep the car pointed the right way — it turned 1,000 horsepower into an asset instead of a liability.

Did the Porsche feel more polished? Absolutely. Did it brake better? By a mile. Did it corner harder? Yes. Did any of that matter when the Corvette fired itself out of every turn like a Saturn V? Not on this track. And on longer, faster circuits, that gap only widens — in the ZR1’s favor.

So here’s the takeaway, Corvette Nation: this video didn’t just crown a winner — it confirmed a truth we’ve suspected since the rumors first broke. The C8 ZR1 isn’t just Chevy’s next chapter. It’s a warning shot to every OEM that thought they had the performance market figured out. The King of Bowling Green is back. And he brought receipts.

Featured Video

Video Preview From Savage Geese:

“We conduct one of the biggest comparisons of the year: Mustang GTD vs. Corvette C8 ZR1 vs. Porsche 992 GT3RS. We set lap times, dyno the car to test horsepower. With help from Ford, Chevy, and Porsche Engineering, we explain how all of these cars achieve their fantastic performance and the issues with this generation of vehicles.”